Chapter 20: Of Returns
"If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong." –Masaru Emoto, Secret Life of Water
Sakura
Poisoning isn't an option, at least not in the traditional sense.
She's sure Sasuke has built up some immunity to any of her toxins on hand from his time spent under Orochimaru's wing. His research extends far beyond her own, it's possible and highly likely he's already injected even worse poisons than her own into his system to counteract any future attacks or for if Sasuke ever went rogue on him.
Her stomach curls though at seeing this anger festering beneath his silent dark eyes, when this war is over Sasuke is going to potentially be their next enemy.
And knowing this she reminds herself she must put her duties as a kunoichi of the Leaf first, she's told him already so much when she encountered him outside the medical tents.
Though her lingering traitorous feelings beg to differ, if Sasuke's desires for revenge persist then she will use that ampoule: Digoxin. She stole away two of them, one safely tucked away within her closet when talks of war first began to stir up in the village knowing it would soon no longer be available.
The other hangs in a specially made locket around her neck made to look like a blade.
It's meant only for the highest risk heart surgeries and intensive care patients. Pharmacy typically only makes it on a as needed basis and even then, only in small amounts. The very idea makes her queasy to use medicine as a poison in a sense, that she is still even now ambivalent about killing Sasuke.
"We share a common opponent right now in Madara." She announces aloud to remind him and to make herself temporarily forget about the thought of his death.
Sasuke glances back at her before turning his attention forward once more into the forests.
"I know, but still I need answers and I know you can't give them to me." He responds calmly.
Sakura tightens her lips, scouring her mind over what Sasuke would want to know. All her knowledge of Konoha's clans and major historical events won't be enough to give him a satisfactory response it seems.
She feels two sets of eyes burning on her back as they trek deeper back into the undergrowth quietly. Suigetsu and Jugo haven't stepped forth yet out of the shadows, Suigetsu at least perhaps not wanting to interact with either of them after trading those rare swords with her for information on Sasuke. Jugo maybe just waiting to see if she will truly attack Sasuke or not.
Karin is the only one missing and she imagines if she weren't currently being detained she would be tearing into her in a vengeance or trying to put a literal wall between her and Sasuke.
'I don't think she can hate me anymore than she currently does unless I truly do harm Sasuke or continue to keep interacting with him like this hiding my true intentions.' She considers morbidly.
"Do you remember how you said you would be willing to defect from the village with me when I first went with the Sound Four to train under Orochimaru?" Sasuke abruptly asks and Sakura feels herself stiffen for a brief second, wondering if he's sensed where her thoughts have gone.
The last thing she wants to think about right now is her preteen self. So woefully naïve, impatient, rude, and worst of all distracted and clouded by her love for Sasuke.
'Why bring that up?' Sakura frowns, pushing the memory of the night back into the recesses of her mind.
"I'm not heading straight for Konoha, I need to make a detour." Sasuke gives by way of explaining if she will come with him or not at her ensuing silence and Sakura grits her teeth. Anger blooms across her chest like a wildfire, unable to quell it down before the heat reaches her lips.
She reaches out and twists Sasuke's hand hard enough to get him to turn, forcing his onyx eyes to meet her flaring green.
"Just what the hell are you thinking about doing Sasuke?" She asks him with a bluntness that challenges not all of her preteen self has faded from her.
Sasuke looks down at her bruising grip, barely hiding a wince of pain while Sakura steadfastly refuses to loosen her hold to allow his hand to slip out without a proper explanation. "I need to revive Orochimaru, he is the fastest option to use in resurrecting Konoha's past Hokage to get the answers I seek."
"What?! That's a horrible idea!" Suigetsu's voice shouts out from behind them, but neither turn to look at him.
She thinks of Kabuto and Anko, the DNA imprint of Orochimaru that lingers in Kabuto that could be used in combination with the cursed seal Anko still has...
Sakura arches a brow, finally relaxing her grip at sensing Naruto's chakra across the battlefield even miles away as they are. She needs to go back, night sky clogging even more so with smoke. Lady Tsunade's vial still rests against her side bundled away, perhaps their final shot at truly stopping Madara.
Within the darkness she sees bursts of white light shooting up, at least the Impure World Reincarnation is truly ending.
"What answers can the past Hokage possibly give you?" Sakura questions tightly as they finally reach a clearing. She studies the dilapidated building before them, wooden roof sunken in with holes and cracks lined throughout it.
'That's the Uzumaki clan symbol.' She notes, taking in the masks lining the shrine's walls not worn or destroyed despite the passage of time.
A knot in her stomach returns, biting at her as a sour taste swims at the back of her throat.
Sasuke's gaze remains impassive as she follows the direction of his gaze, watching as he casts his stare down to the village. The skirmishes and clashes of metal in glimmer in the dark though most of the area is too shrouded in dust and smoke to really make out anything.
Eventually he meets her stare properly, done with surveying the chaos below. His stare is the familiar emptiness and sharpness she's used to, pursing her lips at this unknowing of what's running through his mind.
"Sasuke-" Sakura begins only for Sasuke to interrupt and answer her earlier question.
"I need to know if Konoha is worth saving."
-X-
Naruto & Hinata
"I don't sense Obito's chakra anymore." Naruto straightens, looking at the spot where Kakashi-sensei stood just moments ago.
He went to that other dimension with Obito, he'd figured though that there was perhaps a chance Kakashi could've talked some sense into his old teammate without having to kill him...
And indeed when Kakashi returns it is just him alone standing. Obito's body is nowhere to be seen, but he imagines it would've been too overwhelming for now to bring his corpse back.
Gai gives him a look of silent confirmation and he simply nods in response, staying mute over the topic.
"He was going to kill you don't forget." Kurama sharply reminds him as if he'd forgotten what Obito's ultimate plans were. A darker part of him flits with the idea of being the one who should've done said deed instead. Obito is...no was the said reason behind his parent's deaths on that October night so long ago.
'Stop it, don't think like that.' Naruto hisses to his pounding heart, images of Obito's bloody or bruised up face disappearing before they can sit and take root.
"This means that Kakashi-sensei had to kill another one of his former friends." Hinata whispers beside him and Naruto reaches to squeeze at her hand. Reminding these crueler parts of him of everything so much more important right now.
"Now only Madara is left to deal with." He reaffirms.
'His soul remains intact despite the other revived shinobi already returning back to the afterlife. How is it he can continue to persist on living?' Naruto frowns, he scolds himself again mentally for not having researched more the complexities of Konoha's past strongest shinobi or at least payed a bit more attention during lessons on the Founding of Konoha during the Warring States Era.
He puts his focus back on the Kage slowed down even with all their powers combined, on Granny as her amber eyes start to dull from overuse of her chakra...
The Ten-Tail's form has already changed shape again, scarlet eye roaming towards him.
Hinata studies each of the Kage's movements in relation to Madara before blowing out a breath and looking back to him properly, lips set in a grim line.
"We don't have much time left Naruto. The way things look right now with Obito dead, Madara's next step most likely would be to just try to absorb the Ten-Tails power and become it's host jinchuriki. Our forces won't be able to handle him if he gets to that point...and I'm afraid what will happen if he gets close enough to you, close enough to absorb and take Kurama's chakra." She explains in a rush.
Naruto opens his mouth to reply, to somehow soothe the worry brimming up in her lavender eyes when they both sense a rush of energy fast approaching the battlefield.
Madara notes it too, spark of glee lighting his eyes as his attention temporarily focuses away from them towards the source.
"So he got revived as well; perfect! I've been waiting for years to properly settle the score."
-X-
Sasuke
Orochimaru acts no different from when he last saw him, still as fascinated as ever with experimenting with the human body to chasing the thrills of forbidden jutsu. He slides out of the thick translucent layer of skin the snake coated him in as he did the Evil Releasing Method, letting the silvery to tan scales fall at his feet.
They've stood outside this abandoned shrine for what feels like hours now, on the cusp of finally getting answers it seems at him taking the Shinigami mask as his prize for this trip and revival.
Sakura's stare switches between them both every few minutes keeping up a calm façade of apathy over this all, her poison dipped senbon needles no longer in view. Her apparent indifference is enough for Suigetsu to stick near her incase Orochimaru tries something against him, trying in vain to hide his shivering.
Orochimaru looks back at her eerily for a long minute, perhaps wondering why she is here with him knowing their shared history before shrugging.
"Much has happened in my absence than I imagined it seems!" He purrs, golden snake orbs gleaming between them both.
Sakura remains unperturbed, looking beyond him at the masks. "You're used to war, everything that's happened I'm sure isn't surprising at all to you."
Orochimaru beams at the snark lingering beneath her words, light chuckle warming the air. "Well, you've certainly gotten more of Tsunade's bite in you than before. Ah, it's refreshing you're no longer the crying little girl from before! I suppose you had to find a mentor on your own though with how Kakashi treated you, knowing how much both Sasuke and Naruto were surpassing you."
If the biting of his words sting, Sakura doesn't let it show.
Instead she walks right past him breezily as if he hadn't spoken, observing each of the Zetsu currently restrained down by Jugo. They hiss as if to bite her despite being pinned down, Sasuke observing her carefully to watch for any movement of her hands.
"Don't gaze at us like that! We could be tearing into you right now limb from limb if we weren't being held back like this!" One of them shouts, spitting at her feet.
'She's not going to interfere I imagine.' He weighs with the idea of Sakura driving a punch straight through one of the Zetsu's heads until it is only a fine white powder but lets the idea fall at seeing her features twist, emerald eyes softening to one of pity.
"You all don't even know what's going to happen next do you, surely you have some idea, right? You're sacrifices soon to be forgotten." She enunciates softly watching as each of the Zetsu's expressions morph into one of fear.
She steps back then and if only for a second does he see the twitch of her lips at seeing even an inhuman creature like these White Zetsu clones scream out in terror and pain.
Their bodies disappear one by one, from left to right the first four Hokage each in their place.
None of them immediately acknowledge their presence, though the Third Hokage scowls directly at Orochimaru.
"Why have you brought us back to the land of the living?! Are you attempting to destroy Konoha once more?" He berates.
Orochimaru holds up his hands in mock surrender, shaking his head just slightly.
"I'll have you know sensei my intentions this time are more...innocent! You see Sasuke Uchiha here has many questions he needs to ask." He begins.
All eyes fall to him though Sakura's feel the most pressuring, scorching at him as if her jade orbs could melt his tongue not to speak rudely to the renown shinobi before them.
"I'm not a pristine, simple little boy like you two think. My hands are stained with blood just as yours have been and I'm willing to continue the pattern if your answers aren't satisfactory." Sasuke interrupts tersely at hearing the legendary pair act as if he isn't here discussing his clan as if they understand it's history.
Hashirama and Tobirama instantly fall to a hush, dark hues pinpointing on him.
And Sakura's gaze burns brighter, aflame with a mix of emotions he can't look at fully right now.
Because now more than ever since their last encounter he wishes her presence, her very distraction was not here beside him clouding his thoughts.
He ignores the steady thrum of the rising of his heartbeat, of Sakura's quiet promise to let Minato see Naruto and Hinata by extension, of Itachi's words buzzing in the back of his mind.
'I was honored little brother to give my life for the village.'
Why?
He still hasn't figured an answer for that.
"My brother Itachi gave his life for Konoha, I want to know the reasons that led him to this decision and if they are worth Konoha being salvaged after this war or being destroyed completely." Sasuke explains.
Tobirama's eyes narrow in particular, obsidian flickering from him to Sakura before scoffing in disgust.
His expression is enough for Sakura to finally look away from him, perhaps with the same revulsion for him.
"You Uchiha haven't changed much even since my death; your Curse of Hatred persists even now."
-X-
Naruto and Hinata
'Who are these chakra sources?' Hinata lets the question rest on the tip of her tongue, unsure what to make of the immense power fast approaching the area.
It at least isn't coming from the Ten-Tails or Madara who now holds a gleeful grin, peering away from them to somewhere off the field.
Naruto grips his hand with hers, cerulean eyes anxious.
"You sense it too, right?" He whispers.
Hinata nods, though her gaze drifts to a trickle of blood sliding down his arm he hides too late from her. He winces as she pulls his arm closer, revealing a profound violet red bruise on his shoulder and a scattering of cuts from deep to small along his arms.
She gives him an admonishing look enough for Naruto to look guilty before sighing, healing him until the wound turns a faded yellow-pink.
"Naruto, I know you heal fast, however you've been using a lot of chakra so don't hide your injuries from me!" Hinata chastises, refusing to let his light rubbing at her knuckles make her fluster.
"I didn't want to worry you, besides I can sense this chakra heading our way isn't malicious in nature!" He mentions, bringing her fingertips to his lips and Hinata begins to feel the familiar wave of heat start to burn her face.
"You're...far more wounded than you let on, at least stay still so I can mend some of the larger injuries!" Hinata scolds gently, planting him down to sit so she can quickly focus on sealing and recovering areas of burnt and bloodied skin.
"Heh, feels like I'm getting a mini massage out of you! You should use the Gentle Fist this way more often!" Naruto gently teases suggestively, looking back up at her from over his shoulder.
A light giggle slips out of her despite her growing blush, striking her fingers into his arm fixing each of his dislocated joints.
The moment fades just as quickly as it came as the Ten-Tails starts to charge in their direction, forming a dark matter of energy for another Tailed Beast Ball. The ground rises up forming a wall on all sides of them, members of each division of the Allied Forces moving in to create a barrier.
Though it won't be enough, formations in the wall starting to crack and give way in a matter of seconds...
'An earth wall isn't enough for that power.' Naruto winces, he needs to make his own Beast Ball to combat it.
Hinata sharply inhales a breath only for a blur to pass in front of them, sending the Tailed Beast Ball out of harm's way towards the sea.
Blond hair so much like Naruto's stands before them, the Hokage cloak with the stitching of the title Fourth running down it.
'His Father, he was one of the chakra signatures.' Hinata swallows down her shock, peeking down to Naruto at feeling his body go numb. Her mind goes into overdrive eliminating options, there's only so few people who know the forbidden jutsu involved in resurrecting the dead. Orochimaru is the most likely answer, though he couldn't have done such a task alone...
A burst of heat burns at her gut, Sasuke had to be involved somewhere amid this.
"You're both okay and unharmed, correct?! Sorry to have startled you like that!" Minato beckons to them with a wave, Naruto the first to break out of his stupor breaking into a wide grin.
"So you're part of the reinforcements huh Dad?" He jests and Minato nods eagerly. His gaze quickly settles upon Hinata and her cheeks pinken wondering just how much he heard of their earlier conversation.
He steps forward to them both, noting their closeness is just as Sakura said. Kushina will be happy once this mess is all said and done to know their son is doing okay, that he has found somebody who loves him in spite of being their village's jinchuriki.
He needs to ask all the right questions now, learn all he can in the short time he has here.
Has Naruto been eating properly? Getting enough sleep at night? Been influenced by Jiraiya?!
'Maybe to that last one based on the small bit of conversation I heard involving the Hyuga Clan's signature move.' Minato considers, but he'll keep that to himself.
'Ask about her likes, dislikes, how long have she and Naruto been dating you know! Come on, I want to know everything!' He pictures Kushina beside him, armed with a list of questions from the most mundane topics such as if she dislikes the bitter taste of coffee too to the more serious ones involving how far along is their relationship and how far it's gotten.
But all of that feels much too personal to ask! They've just met after all so he needs to start off small in order to not scare her.
Yes, needs to be the easy-going parent; smooth.
"So...you must be Hinata!" Minato starts awkwardly making her jolt slightly.
"Ah, yes I am! From the Hyuga clan." Hinata replies bowing politely, though she's sure he already knew that going by her clan's trademark eyes.
'To think I'm meeting Naruto's Father like this! In the midst of a war of all places where he's been unwillingly resurrected.' Hinata squirms, all the formalities she's been taught in greeting elders or your superiors seem off to do in this moment.
"She's my girlfriend too!" Naruto pipes in happily, intertwining their hands giddily to show her off. The last time he saw his Dad he was more clouded with frustration at the knowing he was behind Kurama's presence within him. He still is a bit admittedly in knowing all the things that have been kept from him, though it's been with Hinata's help he's been able to move forward.
And when this war is over he'll tell her everything, every dark secret he's been hiding.
Minato laughs at his antics, it's like watching Kushina when they would discuss each other's days when he got home over dinner.
"Your Father is Hiashi Hyuga, correct? He had just became clan head when I was still Hokage. Is he still your clan head or has he retired now and passed on the mantel to your generation?" He questions.
He grimaces at seeing Hinata's smile crack, the rise of tears she blinks away before they can fall.
"He...He indeed has stepped down from his post as head of our clan. We haven't decided yet on who will be next head though as he just recently gave his life to protect us during this war." Hinata replies gently.
Minato nods solemnly, features turning to one of seriousness as the rest of the Hokage of old join the fray.
"Well, then he died an honorable death and we will make sure it wasn't in vain." He concludes before his focus turns back to the Ten-Tails.
-X-
Kakashi
"I'm fine, you should attend the more injured southward." He motions in said direction, to the ones lying curled up in pain and those swathed in blood.
"You need just as much medical attention as they do!" Katsuyu retorts back, ignoring his command.
He tastes dry blood on the back of his tongue, another reminder of a lost.
First so long ago it was his Father, then Rin, and now Obito.
Death seems to follow him like a shadow, darkening any brief periods he may have of sunshine in his life.
'Breathe. In and out. In and out.' He reminds himself when their corpses appear in his thoughts, skin the ghastly shade of mottled whites and grays of decay.
Their images cling to him, about to claw into his flesh...
"Huh, now I've seen everything! Look there Kakashi, isn't that your old sensei?" Gai asks aloud and briefly the ghosts of his former family and companions disappear into the crevices of the night.
His eye widens slowly, same blond hair and stance.
Minato-sensei.
"Yeah, it's him." He confirms back slowly.
And not just him, all the past four Hokage have joined the battlefield it seems.
He moves his body to stand in spite of the pain that ripples through him head to toe, stepping closer.
His head pounds as each figure becomes clearer, Sasuke is there among them while Sakura slips through the crowds to check on each section quickly for any major injuries.
"He came back." Kakashi mutters to himself, situating himself just near enough to catch the tail ends of his conversations with his old classmates.
"Are you back as an enemy of Konoha?!" Kiba snaps out point blank, the rest of the Konoha 11 twisting awkwardly at his blunt questioning.
Hinata murmurs something by Naruto's ear that makes him unfurl his arms, both their eyes becoming equally steely on Sasuke's presence.
It's a look he rarely sees upon Naruto, blue eyes cloudy with a rage like the beginnings of a storm.
He clenches his teeth, he can't stop them now if they fight.
Sasuke shakes his head, straightening his posture.
"I've learned much on how Konoha was founded, the history of my clan, and my brother's thoughts that I no longer want Konoha to be destroyed. The best way I believe I'll achieve peace is by becoming Hokage and truly putting Itachi's ideals into reality." He reasons casually.
A pause shifts in the air at his words, enough for Kakashi to suck in another long breath.
'Of all the things for Sasuke to say...'
"What?! I'll be damned if I let that happen!" Naruto snarls.
He forms the beginnings of a rasengan only for Hashirama to suddenly step in and Sakura to reappear positioned at his side.
"Don't forget the war happening before you, everything else can wait." He advises.
Sakura nods, swiping pink locks from her face revealing sharp verdant eyes, glowing with the energy of a plan.
She holds up a murky colored vial enough for everyone to get a glimpse at, nodding in Madara's direction.
"And I know how we'll finish this!" She smirks.
He wracks his mind over the meaning behind said mixture, though he just barely recalls it's a potent injection both she and Lady Tsunade did research on.
'This war really does make you see everything.' He muses, recalling Gai's earlier words.
Because before him Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto come together again all on the same side.
Back as Team 7.
-x-
Happy July 4th weekend!
Thanks for 500 follows, almost to 200 reviews as well! :)
I'm pretty sure next chapter I' should be able to hopefully finally wrap up the war arc. Then I'll start on Sasuke and Naruto's final battle with notable key differences to their fight and the injuries they'll get. After that, some Post-War goodness and lemons!
In other news my brother is finally at the end of part 1 of Naruto; currently at the Sasuke retrieval arc. His new favorite characters right now are Rock Lee, Gaara, and Neji. I resisted spoiling him on what happens in part 2 though I really wanted to bring up all the interesting fights I liked (Like Shikamaru's revenge on Hidan) lol.
Re-watching it with him made me wonder, did you guys like part 1 or part 2 more?
Let me know your thoughts as always!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!
